ORNITHOLOGIST JOHN MILES HAS AUTHORIZED ME TO PUBLISH HIS LETTER OF 26 MARCH 2000, AS FOLLOWS:

 
Dear Brian

Having seen both your letter and your article I thought it was time to write to you.  I spent 3 years carrying out ‘environmental assessments’ for wind turbine companies until I came up against the old enemy.  I had previous worked for the RSPB from 1976 – 1991 and I challenged the establishment on their views.  Here again as a free lance consultant I was facing the problem of a company claiming that my evidence was wrong for their own gain.  My conclusion was that the site was finally not suitable for the turbines.

The site was close to the other English pair of golden eagles and information from California showed that immature golden eagles were the most vulnerable birds when the turbines sites were erected.  Also in Southern Spain large numbers of birds of prey were being killed by turbines off the Straits of Gibraltar.  (The new Scottish site in Argyll where large amounts of money have been spent trying to keep eagles away from turbines is an interesting case!)

The company paid another consultant for a one day visit to the site to write a report condemning my findings and came up with 13 statements that they wanted changing or I would not get paid for my work.  He even changed my name to make his findings more suitable!

I wrote a letter to the local press telling them what the company was playing at and after a long wait finally got paid although the company were given the last reply in the paper which I felt was wrong.  I was never approached by a turbine company again!

The problems of being a free lance consultant are that you are paid to write what they want to hear not the truth.

I hope this is some help to you

All the best

John Miles